Bound By Dust and Shadows
by the ticking clock
Summary: Magnus reflects on the parabati he has known in his life...and the ones who changed his life forever, the ones that made him swear never to be involved with the Shadowhunters again...


The stories of Parabti, Magnus had always known, could never end happily. Will and Jem had been the first parabati he had ever been close too. Magnus had watched as they interacted, and he saw the bond between them, the bond between too very separate and different boys, was so strong, so impossible. Will was so fragile, so broken inside, but he hid it with a flaring temper and unpredictable attitude. Jem was...good. Pure good. He was broken as well, physically at least, but his illness did not stop him from from fighting, from _living._

Magnus understood them, understood them as they laughed together, cried together, fought together. he understood Will more than the boy seemed to know, because once upon a time in his own life, Magnus had acted the same way the Shadowhunter did.

And it was Will who had first told him that Shadowhunters and Downworlders could be friends.

Now, as he stood on the busy, frantic streets of New York, watching the blond boy with those cat-like eyes, that slow, calculating movement, slide a Seraph blade from his belt, and as he saw that beautiful black-haired boy that so resembled Will glance across the road at the blond, he knew...he knew what they were, and not just by the inky runes that adorned their skin, not by their glowing angel knives or the scars that covered every visible inch of their skin. No, he knew them by that look...the same look Will had given Jem so long ago as they had lept into battle, the same smile Jem had given Will right before he died. The smile of brotherhood...of love.

Magnus closed his eyes briefly. Even after so many years, the memories of the first parabati he had ever met were so clear and fresh in his mind, and try though he might, he could not banish them from his thoughts.

The two Shadowhunters drew level with him and stopped in unison, sizing him up with their eyes.

The blond one, smirked. He had the same fragile quality about him that Will had possessed...a hard shell of arrogance and pride that he had built about himself to hide his inner pain. "Seen a demon around, Downworlder? 'cause I am NOT in a good mood," He ran his golden eyes lazily down the length of his gleaming blade. "and I need to vent my anger."

"Jace." The dark-haired boy's voice held a warning note, and Magnus almost laughed at how close to Jem the boys reproving tone sounded.

"Alec," the golden-boy, Jace, answered, cutting his eyes at his parabati. "I am merely asking this warlock a question." He turned to Magnus with a wicked smirk. "So, Warlock, seen a demon? because i've found that demons make interesting fun when you are bored and need someone too...play with."

The beautiful boy, Alec, grabbed Jace's arm and spun him away before he could see the grin that flashed across Magnus's face.

Magnus bent his head to hide his laughter as he watched the two brothers walk away. Shadowhunters never failed to amuse him. They were interesting people...their lives were full of scars, killing, love, drama and pain. But as Will and Jem had shown Magnus, the lives of parabati were not only filled with darkness, but of light, because if nothing else, the two had each other.

Magnus sighed and turned his back on the two Shadowhunters. The parabati had their own lives to live, and he had sword that he would never again be involved with the Shadowhunters...his heart had already been broken once, and he did not want to repeat the experience.

If he had only known how much this pair of parabati would change his life, then maybe he would have stopped to see the two of them laugh. But he was lost in the past, memories of another two Shadowhunters, of parabati who had proven that without their brother, without their partner, they were nothing but broken boys without a purpose.

The stories of Parabati, Magnus knew, could never end in happiness. They were simply too tightly bound.

And the only way to break such a strong bond, was to snap it quickly and irrevocably in two.


End file.
